


Through the fire

by Captainmintyfresh



Category: Jurassic World - Fandom, Jurassic World Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: Blue - Freeform, M/M, Post-Jurassic World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-04-20 01:43:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14250375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainmintyfresh/pseuds/Captainmintyfresh
Summary: Zach's pretty sure going to an island that's about to explode to save a bunch of man eating monsters isn't his best idea, but that's not going to stop him from doing it. Owen knows it's a terrible idea, but there's no way in hell he's going to let the kid go alone.The Zachwen rewrite of Jurassic world 2 that literally no one asked for.





	1. E is for exposition

Zach had never really had an interest in dinosaurs. Even as a kid.  He knew that most kids seemed to love them, especially with the fact that now they could actually see them up close and personal if their parents had a small fortune to spend but he just..didn’t see the appeal. Sure, they were kinda cool but they were just animals. Bigass Scaley animals yeah but still animals. So to him, they were just...kinda boring.

And then he’d been told he was going to the Jurassic world and even the promise of seeing dinosaurs didn’t pique his curiosity about them. Truth be told he was more annoyed he’d be stuck babysitting his little brother when he could be going to his friends ‘ Moms out of town’ party.

He’d spent the first half of the holiday gazing sleepily at the tiny herbivores in the petting zoo and wishing that that Hammond dude hadn’t brought them back and inadvertently forced him to be there.

But then Gray, ever the pain in the ass, had pointed out what he really should have known all along, that his parents were getting a divorce and the stupid smile that had been plastered on his face ever since they’d stepped foot in the park had fallen and Zach had been left sitting in a stupid hamster ball with his talkative energetic little brother sitting pouting like..well..like he’d been for the rest of the trip and so he’d broken the rules and sent them on a day long run from death.

A genetic hybrid and a pack of raptors trying to eat him were apparently exactly what it took from Zach feelings about to dinosaurs to go from  _ who cares  _ to a Gray level of interest in the animals.

People said it was the trauma, that his new found interest was some coping mechanism to help with everything he’d seen and maybe they were right. Know thy enemy and all that crap. But even if they were, he didn’t really care. Because it did help. Gray had all but burnt down all of his own Dinosaur memorabilia the second they got home. He’d break out in a cold sweat if anything relating to dinosaurs was even mentioned for the first year while Zach would perch on the edge of his seat, eyes wide and mind buzzing as every word about them brought a hundred more questions.

He couldn’t remember ever actually  _ wanting  _ to learn things, not like how it was when he got off the island. When he’d vibrate in his seat and he’d stay awake until he collapsed because he was too busy with his nose buried in Gray’s books, salvaged from the trash, to sleep.

He’d read about Hammond and Ian Malcolm, about Alan Grant and watched what felt like a few thousand youtube videos of him at paleontology conventions. He’d found a book by a kid, now adult, who’d  _ lived  _ on one of the islands when he was only a few years older than Gray.

Eric was his favorite by far. He didn’t hold grudges like Alan and Ian seemed to. He wrote about dinosaurs like he still loved them.

The fact the guy actually replied to the comments Zach left on his website was really the final nail in the coffin for Zach’s dinosaur obsession because it was Eric who talked to him, who put him in touched with two photographers who’d survive the island before Eric even stepped foot on it and took pictures that left Zach wishing he could go back to the island to actually pay attention to all the things he’d overlooked last time. It was Eric who’d gotten him in touch with a guy named Billy who’d taken to Zach like a fish to water with a simple ‘us survivors gotta look out for one another’ and an invitation to a dig to learn the ropes.

And so rather than spending his summer with his friends getting illegally drunk he’d found himself convincing Gray to convince his parents that he was staying at the others place while he took off to meet two strange men from the internet who said they’d once come face to face with dinosaurs.

In retrospect, he really should have done a bit more research before he’d taken that particular journey but it worked out well. Billy was cool. With seemingly more scars than skin and a grin bright enough that it left Zach’s ever unimpressed expression cracking into a smile. There would be days where they’d finish and he’d crack three beers open, hand one to Eric, one to Zach and then they’d talk. Eric and Billy about their experience on the island.

They both had the same reaction to him asking if they’d want to go back. Suddenly surprised laughs and ‘Are you crazy?’

He left with a sunburn and a promise of a spot on the team next summer if he wanted it.

He did.

*

He spent his last year at high school trying to figure out what the hell he was meant to do with his new found interest. Paleontology was cool. But he wanted more, he wanted to be able to see them again properly. He wanted to study them, to know about them, about their behavioral patterns and not just in theory.

And he could, a bit, not properly. No one was allowed back on the island but there were still whole courses dedicated to the scientific advances that Jurrasic Park and Jurassic World had made. A whole section on zoology about dinosaurs.

*

And so that was he did for three years. He’d go to school and learn all he could about dinosaurs, about their biology and evolution, about the science behind making them, about what they’d learned of their behaviour and diets and anatomy in the short time they’d had to study them and in summers he’d go after Billy and usually Eric wouldn’t be far behind.

Then the news about Isla Nublars volcano showing signs of erupting came out and suddenly seeing the dinosaurs again wasn’t some distant desire he knew he could never have but a desperate urge.

They would all be wiped out. Every one of them consumed in hot tendrils of lava and it would be like they’d never been brought back in the first place and that...That wasn’t right. Zach  _ knew  _ he could never step foot on the island again and hope to be safe. He knew that he’d never actually get to go and study them up close but with them there. With them there he was sure that one day they’d figure out a better way to study them. That they could use drones or something, something to learn more about them. They’d figure something out so that he hadn’t just wasted three years of his life studying an ecosystem he won’t ever get to even see new pictures of.

*

When he’d first expressed his outrage at the lack of a rescue mission for a bunch of monsters on an island he’d really thought he’d be alone in wanting them to be saved. Even in a class of dino nerds. Not that he was exactly wrong, only two people in his class had been more upset than ‘yeah, sucks dude.’ and only one of them actually wanted to help do something rather than complain loudly about it in a dorm room and a bottle of vodka.

Although they had joined the guy for that before he and his one like-minded crazy person had gone off to plan operation: rescue the man-eating dinosaurs

*

It took less time than Zach thought it would to actually sort everything out. Maybe not entirely legally but there were enough rich people interested in saving the once extinct beasts that getting funded to go on a suicidal mission with a handful of starry-eyed dinosaur nerds was as easy as getting #saveislanublar trending on twitter.

Getting the group ready to leave was a bit more difficult. They were eager, painfully so, Zach had lost track of the number of times he’d snapped at them that it wasn’t going to be fun, or easy. That it would be hilariously dangerous and probably the dumbest move they’d ever make in their lives even if they were lucky enough their lives didn’t end on the damn island

But then they were ready, armed with too much money and not enough people and before Zach knew it he was a day away from willingly walking into the mouth of hell with only two things left to do before he left one of which was far more terrifying than the prospect of coming face to face with a dinosaur again.

But dinner with his family was later.

First, he had one last volunteer to try and recruit.

*

Zach took a deep breath, eyes running over the sign for the small bar he was set to meet what would hopefully be his last volunteer in. He knew that really it as a desperate attempt to have someone competent on the island. No offense to his ‘team’ but, they were all too awestruck by the idea of dinosaurs. Sure, Zach was too but he knew first hand how dangerous they could be. He was walking into it knowing that he’d need to be very careful and even then he’d need lucky and about five gods on his side to get him through the experience unscathed. 

This, this was his last chance at not being the sole person seeing clearly on how dumb the whole idea was.

He just hoped it was the right kind of dumb to interest him.

Zach shook his hands out as if he could physically shake the nerves out of him and marched towards the bar. He shouldered in, eyes scanning the dim tables eagerly.

“Zach-” Zach’s head snapped over at the voice. “Over here!” A grin found its way onto Zach’s face unbidden as he spotted Owen Grady, half raised in his seat, waving Zach over eagerly. 

He wouldn’t say he ran across the bar to get to him but there was a definitive speed to his step. Not that anyone could blame him. It had been three years since he saw the guy and he was technically on a timetable.

Owen had fully stood from his seat by the time Zach made it to the table and was smiling warmly.

“Hey,” Zach said, hand raising in a half wave.

“Hey. Long time no see.” Owen grinned, clapping Zach on the shoulder.

“Yeah, sorry i-” Zach broke off with a small shrug. What was he meant to say? Yeah sorry, but my aunt dumped you and it felt weird to keep in touch?

Sorry I know I haven’t spoken to you in years except a ‘Happy birthday’ on your facebook wall once when it wasn’t even your birthday but I was drunk and clicked the wrong name on my friend's list but come on a death-defying mission with me?

“You want a drink?” Owen asked before Zach come blurt out any of his lackluster greetings. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, inching closer to the bar.

“Uh, Yeah, yeah, a drink would be cool.” 

“What do you want?”

“Beer?” Zach said hopefully. Owen’s eyebrows twitched upwards before he nodded and swept off towards the bar leaving Zach sitting alone at the table. His eyes skimmed the small bar. From the crackling paint job to the pool table that looked like one leg was too short. Owen’s laugh broke through the otherwise quiet building drawing Zach’s attention back to him.

He looked almost exactly the same as he did the last time Zach saw him. With the same stubble and freckle flecked skin that said he spent most of his time in the sun. Still had specks of dirt on his clothes like he’d been rolling around outside or hanging out in a garage and as he looked back at Zach, grinning as the bartender said something and he replied with another low laugh Zach realised with a small groan that he still had the same self-assured posture and dangerous smirk that had made 16 year old him realise that he wasn’t as straight as previously thought.

Zach forced a smile at Owen before turning to look back out at the rickety pool table where two women were setting up for a game.

Zach often lamented the fact that his Aunt and Owen had broken up. Especially now that she was dating an accountant, a guy so dull Zach was sure he’d actually fallen asleep while talking to him a couple of times. It was easy to miss Owen. Who’d turn up with a smile and a story that had everyone laugh, or at the very least gasping and trying to cover Gray’s ears before he heard.  Owen had been fun when he’d visit. He’d hand out with Zach and Gray not as a sense of duty to Claire but just because he seemed to like their company. He’d talk to him about their nightmares in a way that Zach's parents didn’t seem to understand. 

But times like these, when Zach would remember the exact moment he’d realized that guys were hot too he couldn’t help but be grateful they’d broken up. At least he could despair in his pathetic little ...attraction, because it wasn’t a crush, not really, just a ‘damn he’s hot’, without feeling like he was gross for liking his freaking aunt's boyfriend.

Zach chanced a glance back at Owen only to find him already almost at the table. A beer in one hand and a glass of Soda in the other

Owen fell back into his seat with a hearty sigh as he took a quick swig from his beer and slid the coke across the table.

“You owe me a beer.”

“You’re still too young to drink beer.” Owen hummed, smacking his lips and taking another exaggerated pull from his bottle. “Wow, that is so good.”

“I literally turn twenty-one in a few days.” Zach grumbled.

“Well, then I’ll owe  you a beer in a few days.” Owen said. “How’ve you been? Hows grey?”

“Good, yeah, Good, he’s...we’re good. You?”

“Good.” Owen sang. “So… You wanna talk about the weather next or you wanna talk about why you’re actually here?” he said, leaning back in his chair, beer bottle dangling between his fingers as his eyes narrowed on Zach, the earlier ease lost to curiosity as Zach did a great impression of a deer in headlights. He’d hoped the small talk part would last a bit longer. “Come on.”

“Come on what?” Zach asked innocently.

“Why are we here?” 

“I told you. Claire said you lived near here and I thought it’d be cool to see you.”

“Kid,” Owen said lowly. “We both know that’s a lie. What do you really want?”

“Is it that really hard to believe I think you’re cool and wanted to hang out.”

“Usually no. I am awesome.” Owen hummed, eyes lighting as Zach let out an unintentional laugh. “Why are we here Zach?” he asked softly. Zach chewed his lip, he’d known that he’d actually have to ask Owen to come at some point but now he had his opening to actually do it, it seemed as dumb as it sounded. 

No one he’d talked to who’d actually been on the island without the safety of working fences wanted to go back. Why would Owen be any different?

“You uh...You heard about the volcano right?”

“Heard about a few.” Owen said. “There’s Pompeii, yellow st-”

“Isla Nublar.” Zach huffed. Owen opened his mouth but Zach powered on, if he gave Owen the chance to give sassy comebacks everything he said he’d never get to ask him to come. “-It’s going to kill them, all of them and no one cares, or at least. Not enough people care, but some of us do. Some of us don’t want to see all of those animals die. That’s why we tried to figure out how to save them.” Zach paused for a breath, eyes glued to the table. “Now we can’t stop a volcano but we can move a dinosaur-”

“Move a-” Owen started.

Zach carried on, explaining his plan, his team, his funding all while staring down at the table, tripping over his own words in his haste to get them out, to explain everything and somehow do it in a way that would get Owen to come with him. When he finished it was with a heaving breath as he finally remembered breathing was nessessary.  The silence stretched on when he finished. Slowly, Zach raised his head fully expecting the look Owen was giving him. Like he had three heads and a raptor tail as a nose. He opened his mouth to talk although he wasn’t sure what he would say only to be silenced by Owen holding up a hand.

“You’re going on a dino rescue party to an island that’s about to explode and you want me to come?” Owen said voice drawling and slow. 

“I know it sounds crazy.” Zach tried tentatively, Owen barked out a harsh laugh. Bottle hitting the table with a loud snap as he leaned forwards leaving them almost nose to nose. Like two kids whispering at their table in class.

“Sounds crazy?” Owen hissed. “It  _ is  _ crazy. Do you have a death wish?”

“I can save-”

“No. You can’t.” Owen said stiffly. “The hell are you thinking? Even if it wasn’t an active volcano you shouldn’t go there.”

“Well, I am. The question is whether you want to come with me.”

“Come with you? You’re not going.”

“Look, Man-” Zach sighed. “We’re going, with or without you and if you don’t want to come then fine, honestly I kinda expected it, pretty much everyone else has said no-”

“Wonder why.” Owen scoffed.

“But! I didn’t come here for you to try to talk me out of it. I just thought if anyone would want to save them it’d be you.” And if anyone could stop Zach and his merry band of misfits from being eaten it would be Owen.

“You remember the part where we almost died right?” Owen asked mockingly. Zach grit his teeth, of course he remembered. Vividly.

“Your raptor, Blue, She’s still there right? Do you really want to just let her die?” Zach pressed. “You said it yourself, you’re the Alpha, isn’t it like, the Alpha’s job to protect the pack?” Owen’s eyes narrowed even as his lips twitched into a small smile, like he found Zach trying to manipulate him into coming amusing. “Look, just think about it alright? Like I said, if you don’t want to come I get it. I’m probably crazy for wanting to save them anyway but-” Zach trailed off with a helpless shrug.

“But-” Owen prompted.

“They saved us, right?” Zach mumbled. “We kinda owe it to them.”

“You’re not JarJar Binks, you don’t owe them a life debt because they chose to kill the big dinosaur rather than us.”

“Who the hell is JarJar Binks?” Zach asked.

“Star Wars.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve never watched those.” Zach said.

“You’ve never watched-”

“What? Dude, they’re old and seem pretty lame. I mean Gray likes them-”

“Well, at least your brother has taste.” Owen mumbled. “Look, Kid, I agree with you-” he started, Zach could feel a grin starting to stretch across his face. “-No.” Owen said quickly holding a hand up “-that does not mean I’m coming. You’re right, Those animals don’t deserve to die but to walk a team of untrained civilians onto that island days before its meant to blow? That’s not helping, that’s just suicide.”

“I know the risks.”

“And you still want to go?”

“If it was an island of puppies that was about to be killed everyone would want to save them. What’s the difference?”

“Puppies don’t eat you.”

“Some do.” Zach said. Owen huffed tiredly.

“I’ll tell your Aunt.”

“She knows.”

“What?”

“She knows. She’s helped me set everything up.”

“Clarie’s letting you go?” Owen hissed.

“Yeah.” Zach said. Technically it wasn’t a lie. Claire had helped him get everything ready to save the dinosaurs. Hell, she’d even thought about coming with him before Mom had found out that she was going to go and all but chained her and her boyfriend to their house. The thing was, Claire didn’t know that Zach was one of the people going, she just knew he’d helped with the whole campaigning part of it. Zach felt his phone vibrate and quickly pulled it out.

He sighed at the text from gray, running a hand through his hair as he realized that he’d struck out at recruiting someone actually useful once again.

“I’ve got to go. I have dinner with my family.” Zach sighed. “We’re leaving at six am if you change your mind.”

“I won’t, but you should.” Owen said stiffly. “And I’m calling your Aunt.”

“Do it.” Zach knew full well her phone would be off all evening for what was probably the first, and only, time ever. “If all goes well I should be spending my twenty-first on a boat surrounded by dinosaurs. So when I get back you could get me that beer.” Zach said. “I’ll try and get a picture of Blue for you.”

“Zach-” Owen started, voice editing on tired

“I’ll see you round, Owen,” Zach said with a small grin trying to ignore the sad frown on Owen’s face as he pushed himself up and made his way out of the dive bar.


	2. Two truths and a shit load of lies

Zach let his head flop against the wall with a heavy sigh. He knew it was his fault that he’d had to sit through a dinner. It was even his plan but that didn’t mean he thought it was a good one. Dinner with his family could get bad enough when it was just Him, Mom and Gray. Add in Mom’s Boyfriend, Dad, Dad’s new girlfriend that Zach isn’t entirely sure he isn’t paying to come with him, Aunt Claire and Aunt Claire’s boyfriend and turning the car around to head to Isla Nublar was probably the safer option.

The plan was frankly quite ridiculous but had worked. First was convince everyone that he

1) Had enough friends to go on holiday with.

2) Had enough money to go on a holiday.

3) Should be allowed to spend his 21st birthday in Hawaii with said friends on said funds.

His birthday falling on the trip was really more trouble than it was worth. His Mom and Dad had insisted they do something to celebrate so breaking the ‘I won’t be here’ news had been a pain in the ass. Convincing them to do a family dinner together so he wouldn’t have to figure out how not to insult one of his parents by not seeing them the day before he left for his trip was even worse. Then, when he realised he was going to be asking Owen for help he’d had to fit Aunt Claire into the meal, force her to abide by the ‘no phones at my early birthday dinner’ rule and then inconspicuously break the phone so she wouldn’t be able to find out from Owen if he actually tried to rat him out until at least the next morning.

But he’d done it, he’d survived the sniping and awkward pauses. He’d survived the passive-aggressive way his Dad had greeted Clive, Mom’s boyfriend with. He’d stolen the sim card from Claire's phone so she couldn’t use it until she came back and found it sitting on the tale.

All that was left was to tell Gray the truth, pack his bag and leave.

He knew, realistically that there was a chance he wouldn’t make it home. That he’d step off the boat and get eaten by the Trex that saved his life last time he’d been on the island. There were countless ways the whole expedition could go wrong so as much as he’d like to disappear off without a word and come back in a few days spilling stories of his adventures on Isla Nublar and running back to his College dorm before his Mom killed him for going back there he knew it wasn’t possible.

“Hey-” Zach called. Poking his head through Grays door. If there was anyone he could trust to keep his whereabouts a secret until came back it would be Gray. Mainly because at 15 Gray was at the age where getting any information out of him unless he expressly wanted to give it was like pulling teeth with an arcade jaw. Not just impractical but impossible.

“I’m busy Zach.” Gray hummed, not even looking away from his computer. “Yeah no, it’s nothing. Just Zach. So you want to-” Zach huffed, grabbing a plushie from the top of Gray’s dresser and launching it at the back of his head. It hit with a satisfying, if soft, thump.

“Dude!” Gray growled, tugging his headphones out and turning on Zach with a glower. “I told you I’m talking-”

“And I told you I need to talk to you. Come on Dipshit, it’s my birthday call your nerd friend back in a minute.”

“One, it’s not our birthday yet and two you really think insulting me will make me want to talk to you?”

“Well, it used to work.” Zach hummed. Marching in and flopping down onto Grays bed with a soft groan.

“Can’t it wait half an hour?” Gray asked.

“Dude if you don’t wanna hear my secret then fine, i’ll go tell aunt Claire,” Zach said morosely, shifting as if to move. He knew, Logically, that Gray’s hair couldn’t actually perk up when he got excited but he swore it did. The moment ‘secret’ passed Zach’s lips it was like each curl had stretched, almost like springs uncoiling.

“Secret?” Gray asked curiously slamming his laptop closed, conversation forgotten as he begun rolling himself across the floor, ass never leaving his dumb wheelie chair.

“Oh so now you’re interested?”

“Dude-”

“Yeah alright. Close the door.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Zach urged. “It’s big. Really big.”

“This isn’t like your  _ ‘I’m bi’ _  big is it? Because I’m pretty sure even Dad saw that one coming by the time you-”

“Just close the door, Runt.” Zach scoffed, cheeks dusting red. Gray rolled his eyes but did indeed shuffle over to the door and kick it closed.

“Alright tell me.” Gray said as he scooted back towards the bed.

“Okay, You promise you won’t freak out?”

“No.” Gray said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Dude.”

“What? If you’re telling me you killed a guy and need help burying the body I might freak out.” Gray said. “I mean sure, I’d help you bury it eventually but there would be a few minutes of pure freaking out so-”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Okay.”

“You remember a few years ago, when you helped me lie to Mom and Dad about where I spent the summer.”

“Yeah.”

“And you remember how you freaked out saying I’d get murdered or something but eventually let me go and I was totally fine.”

“...Yeah” Gray said slowly.

“I’m not going on holiday with my friends.” Zach said. Gray’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You know-” he hummed. “I’m pretty sure at your age Mom can’t stop you from running off to some dig. Even on your birthday. Unless it was something really stupid.”

“I’m pretty sure if she knew where I was going she’d slip me a Xanax and tied me to the tree out back until it was too late.”

“Why would she do that if you’re not going anywhere stupid?” Gray asked.

“Because I’m going somewhere stupid.” Zach said with a sheepish grin. Gray rolled his eyes and started wheeling his chair off with a frown.

“Look if you just want me to lie for you again then-”

“No, no that’s not-” Zach said, tugging Gray back. The wheelie chair gave a soft squeak of protest at the rough movement. “-I don’t want you to lie to Mom-” Gray opened his mouth. “-Or Dad!” Zach added quickly. “I’m going to Isla Nublar.” The younger Mitchell brother let out a rolling snort of laughter, lips curling in a smile like Zach had told a particularly stupid joke. Zach shifted on the bed, drawing his lip between his teeth as the smile fell from the youngest Mitchell brothers face as he realized that Zach wasn’t laughing along with him.

“You’re not serious?” Gray asked. Zach gave a slow nod of his head in reply, hating himself for it as the color begun to fade from Gray’s skin.

“No,” Gray said stiffly.

“Okay, I said don’t freak out so-”

“MOM-” Zach launched at Gray before he could make it further than a step out of his chair, tackling him to the ground, with what was probably too much force if the yelp from Gray and the carpet burn stinging on his chin as the pair slid across the ground was anything to go by. “Son of a- dude Get off! MOM-”

“Shut up shut up shut up!” Zach hissed, slapping a palm over the boy's mouth and pinning him to the floor. Gray let out a muffled scream that Zach guessed was ‘get off’. “I said shut it you little nark.” Zach growled. “Let me explain and-

“Gray? Honey? What’s happening up there?”

“If you tell her about this now I'll tell her about me catching you smoking.” Zach threatened. Grays eyes widened in horror. “I’m moving my hand. It’s your move.”

“Gray! Did you-”

“Nothing!” Gray squeaked. “I’m good Mom, just...fell off my chair.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” The two waited, listening in a tense silence as their mother's footsteps rattled off back down the corridor. “Get off.” Gry snapped. Zach moved easily, resting back against the edge of the bed and trying to ignore the sting in his chin. “Okay that was one time and I was just trying it.”

“Sure.” Zach shrugged. “So how’d you like it smokey joe?”

“It was terrible and hurt my throat.” Gray huffed. “You’re not going.”

“I am.”

“Zach-”

“Just listen okay.” Zach pleaded. “We’re leaving tomorrow and I’m not asking for you to keep it from them forever. I’ll tell everyone. Mom, Dad, Claire, hell even your little nerd friends when I get back where I actually was and what I was doing.  I just need you to keep your mouth shut until I get home then-”

“Why tell me now if you’ll everyone when you get home?”

“Because if I don’t make it home then-” Zach realized his mistake as Gray’s eyes widened. Lip trembling in the way it used to when they were still kids before he’d burst out into a stream of loud messy tears. “I’ll come home!” Zach hissed. “I didn’t mean- I’m coming home okay? But  _ if  _ something happens, like, I get delayed or-”

“Eaten?”

“Gray.”

“Don’t ‘Gray’ me like I’m an idiot. What the hell are you thinking going back there?”

“I’m thinking all of the dinosaurs are going to die!”

“Then let them! It’s natural selection!”

“I can help-”

“By giving them one last meal?”

“I’ve spent the last four years learning everything I could about dinosaurs. Old and our new reanimated Frankensteins.”

“Frankenstein was the doctor not-”

“I need to save them. They’re...Dude I...I didn’t care about school or learning or whatever until Jurassic World, this is the  _ first  _ time I’ve been interested in something, like, really interested I can’t lose that, I can’t lose them. If they’re gone then everything I’ve learned is pointless.”

“And you call me a nerd?”

“Dude.”

“You’re insane.” Gray said bluntly.

“Yeah, I’ve been getting that a lot lately.” Zach huffed. “Gray, I gotta do this but I get it, okay. I know that it’s dangerous but it’s not like last time. I’m not walking in with no clue what’s happening. I’m going there with a whole team and a hell of a lot of tranquilizers. I’m coming home-”

“Then why-”

“Because if I don’t, If I’m wrong and something happens I don’t want you, or Mom or anyone thinking I just disappeared. This way, at least you’d know what happened to me.”

“That’s not comforting!” Gray snapped.

“It’s not meant to be.” Zach said. “It’s meant to be honest. Dude, I know you like hate dinosaurs now but-”

“I don’t hate them. I just don’t want to be eaten by one or for you to be eaten by one.”

“I won’t be. I’m gonna come home.”

“Then you shouldn’t have told me!”

“Would you have ever forgiven me if I came home and told you I’d been back without telling  _ anyone  _ I was going?”

“Of course not.” Gray grumbled. “But that doesn’t mean I like you telling me before you go either.”

“WWell, hat would you like?”

“You not going, obviously.”

“You know you freaked out like this when I went to college as well. And I’m fine right? I’m home basically every weekend.” Zach said.

“At college no one tries to eat you.”

“You should see a guy giving their first blow job. You might change your mind about that assesm-”

“Dude.”

“Look if you freak and tell Mom I’m going anyway.” Zach said, pushing himself up off the floor. “I gotta finish packing so I’ll let you go back to talking about your nerd friends.”

*

Zach’s packing turned out to be throwing two changes of clothes into a bag along with a twelve pack of chips and his camera. It wasn’t that he was unprepared, it was just, most of the stuff they needed would already be loaded onto the boat ready for them. It was after packing, when he started poking at the carpet burn on his chin that slowly oozed blood, that Gray reappeared. Stomping into his room without a thought of knocking. He clutched the small beige dork pouch hat Zach hadn’t seen in years. It’s sides frayed from use and bulging from all the crap Gray had apparently stuffed into it.

“How’s your face?”

“Still prettier than yours.” Zach hummed.

“Sit down.” Gray ordered, giving Zach no choice in it as he suddenly found himself being turned around and shoved to sit on his desk.

“Wha-” Zach went to ask only for his chin to flare in pain as Gray scrubbed an antiseptic wipe against it. “Ow dude!”

“You’ve been better, since Jurassic World.” Gray said, voice bitter but conversational, like Zach had asked for him to march in and start assaulting him with disinfectant. ”Less of an ass… Happier.”

“Well, apparently hobbies are good for you.” Zach said. “Is this really necessary?”

“You’re going to an island full of bacteria, yes, it’s necessary,” Gray said.

“So you’re not gonna tell Mom?”

“Not yet.”  Gray said, with an extra harsh swipe of the antiseptic wipe.

“I’m pretty sure that’s done.” Zach grit out. Gray tossed the bloody wipe into the trash and moved around Zach’s room, poking at the few things out on the desk curiously.

“If you die I’ll hate you.”

“I know.” Zach said softly. Gray sighed, deep and heartbreaking as he turned back to face Zach.

“You’ll come home?”

“Of course I will.” Zach promised.

“I emptied our first aid box into there. There’s not much but-”

“I’m not taking the dork pouch.” Zach snorted.

“If you don’t want me to go tell Mom where you’re really going you’ll take the dork pouch.” Gray said, puffing up his chest formidably. At least, Zach thought it was meant to look that way, to him it just looked like a toddler getting ready to yell.

“Fine. I’ll take the damn dork pouch.”

“And keep it on you at all times.”

“So you want everyone on this trip to bully me or-”

“Zach.”

“Fine, yes, I’ll keep it on me.” Zach sighed.

“Zach?” The two boys looked to the doorway as Karen poked her head in. Lips tipped in a soft smile. “Hey, Sweetie.You...What happened to your face?”

“Tripped over.” Zach grumbled.

“You should be more careful-” Gray scoffed eyeing Zach like he very much agreed with their mother. “You should get some sleep, you have to be up early for your flight.”

“Yeah, I know, thanks Mom.”

“Gray, you too come on. Stop bothering you Brother.”

“I’ll see you before you leave?” Gray asked, lips beginning to wobble again.

“Yeah, course.” Zach scoffed, ruffling a hand through Grays unruly hair, much to the younger brothers displeasure., he tugged him in by the back of his head, pulling him into a swift hug. “I’ll be fine.” Zach breathed before shoving Gray away none too gently. “Night, man.”

*

Zach knew that Gray and his Mom would kill him for it when he got home but even so he didn’t bother waking either of them up to say goodbye. Just grabbed his bag and left, he didn’t want to risk Gray freaking out in the morning. A teary goodbye from his brother who probably thought he was definitely going to die would be a bit of a downer at the start of a trip that was meant to be...well, interesting. Zach wasn’t sure if he’d be able to classify it as fun.

He did stop long enough to take a selfie of himself, dork pouch fastened around his waist (hidden by his top now)  and send it to Gray for when he woke up though.

Then he was leaving, tearing down the highway with a borderline hysterical laugh booming out of him.

He was going back.

He was going to get to see dinosaurs again.   
  



	3. Hello darkness

Zach had planned to get an hour or so of sleep when he got to the airport but something, perhaps the uncomfortable chairs, or the crying baby a desperate parent was trying to tire out before the flight, or the anticipation bubbling away in his stomach, was keeping him from sleeping so by the time his alarm was going off telling him he’d be able to make his way through customs soon he was still wide awake, eyes skimming the same small portion of ceiling mind a million miles away, or more 65 million years away.

If you see a T-REX don’t move, their visions based on movement. The ceiling had roughly 239 tiles. Raptors are smart. They hunt in packs and will set traps, if it seems too easy it probably is. The ceiling had roughly 239 tiles. Compy’s may be small but when faced with a lot of them they’re lethal. The ceiling had roughly 239 tiles. To knock out a dinosaur the same size and the Indominus Rex you would need enough tranquilizer to take down two fully grown t rex's, although depending on what the scientists put in it there was a chance that they could process the drug like turtles. The ceiling had rou-

“Mitchell!” Zach jumped as fingers snapped in front of his face. Eyes snapping to meet the honey brown ones. “You good buddy?” Zia asked, eyebrows raised and a sunny smile stretched across her face.

“Yeah, yeah just thinking.” Zach said, scrubbing his hand across his eyes and noticing the shrill ringing of his alarm that he’d apparently managed to ignore. He quickly moved to turn it off.

“You been here long?” Zia asked as Zach pulled himself up and the two began making their way towards the security checks.

“Yeah.”

“Sorry, I-”

“What? No, it’s not...I left early, didn’t want to risk my Brother catching me leaving. You’re right on time.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Yeah.”

“How’d he take it?”

“About how you’d expect someone to take it. You tell your folks?”

“No.” Zia said. “But I’ve been saying since I was 10 that I was gonna go work at Jurassic World so it’s not like I didn’t give them fair warning.”

“You tell anyone you were going?” Zach asked uneasily.

“Dude. Don’t start on that again.”

“I didn’t say any-”

“I get it okay. I heard your whole ‘death doth come to those on the isle’ speech a thousand times.”

“What if you don’t come back?”

“Then whoever survives can tell my parents I died doing what I love.” Zia said casually.

"This isn’t a joke, Zia, it’s da-”

“Zach.” Zia said, in a tone that reminded him he was six years her junior. “I know it’s dangerous but this is...I _always_ wanted to see them. I spent my _whole_ life busting my ass so I’d be able to get a job at Jurassic World and then it closed down. This is literally my life's ambition so as far as I’m concerned as long as I see the dinosaur before it eats me, I can die happy. I appreciate you trying to warn me but I know they could kill me and I am more than willing to take that risk.  Now, I’m about to take my first ever plane ride, so either get excited with me or find someone to switch seats with because I’m not babysitting you while you get all doom and gloom storm cloudy.” Zach let out a huff, eyes rolling in his head. “Zach.” Zia sang. “Zaaach, look at me.”

“What?” Zach sighed.

“We’re going to see dinosaurs today.” Zia said giddily. Despite himself, Zach found a smile pulling at his lips. “Come on.” Zia enthused, grabbing Zach by the edge of his shirt and tugging him through the airport at a veritable sprint.

*

The heat hit Zach the moment he stepped off of the plane, a sudden wave of humidity slamming into him that left his face twisting and eyes squinting against the bright light. Zia raced off ahead of him twirling through the crowds with a grin on her face leaving Zach unable to melt under the scorching sun like he wanted to and instead race after her before she could get through customs and end up poaching their ride when she forgot about him in her excitement.

He couldn’t help but be reminded of last time he’d arrived in Costa Rica, when Gray had been running off in front of him in the same way, stopping only to yell for him to hurry up.

“Zach!” Zia bellowed, right on cue. “Come on!” Zach didn’t need telling twice. Just hefted his bag up on his shoulder and took sped up his steps.

*

“Okay.” Zia said, bouncing in her seat. “So the boat leaves in three hours”

“I know.” Zach said, peering out the window as the road swept past.

“Which means that we’ll only have about two and a half hours to make sure everything is-”

“Zia, I know.” Zach said with a small sigh. “We’ve got time. Most of the stuff we need is already there so-”

“And are we sure that it will work? I mean, it’s been there four years and-”

“It’s going to have to.” Zach said.

“But-”

“Zia.” Zach said. “We basically have to load some guns and some food. It’s fine.”

“Yeah totally. Right, I mean, you’ve planned it all. It’s good. We’re good.” Zia babbled, Pulling a lock of hair between her teeth and chewing on it nervously. “We’ve totally got this.”

“Yeah. Totally.” Zach said uncertainty.

Why anyone had decided that putting Zach in charge of the little dinosaur protection group was a good idea he couldn’t understand. Yes, he technically started it, and he recruited everyone, and was the reason they even had the means to go to the island. But that didn’t mean he knew how to be the leader, or how to get more than the very basic necessities when it came to moving dinosaurs from one island to another.

Sure, he’d spent what now felt like years worth of sleepless nights in the past few weeks trying to map out the island, figure out where they should go, where they definitely shouldn’t, how to set up a perimeter to keep everyone as safe as possible but that didn’t mean he knew what the hell was going on before they got there or that he knew anything about how to get people ready for a suicide mission. Was he meant to give a speech? He was fairly sure Zia would slap him if he tried to give another ‘doom and gloom’ rant.

Maybe he couldn’t try to dissuade them from going to the island but he could at least see if everyone was okay. Then if anyone did have any doubts he could remind them that it was stupidly dangerous, that there was a chance they’d die and maybe they’d be smart enough not to come.

He’d need to take some sort of inventory. Make sure there was enough food for everyone and water.

It was easy to disappear into his mind again, running into a checklist that seemed both never and ending and too short. He couldn’t lead people, they’d take one look at him and realize how stupid it would be to follow him onto the island and then he’d be left without a team and the dinosaurs would die.

Or worse, they’d think he was a good leader, they’d think he knew all the answers and follow him without question and then they’d die and if he was lucky to get off the island and spend the rest of the life with blood on his hands.

He clamored out of the car trying to shove ideas of imminent doom to the back of his mind. People could die, people probably would die but right now that wasn’t important, what was important was making sure they had everything they could on the boat to help stop that from happening.

Zach pushed onto the dock trying to swallow down the nerves creeping up his throat like bile. His hands fisting at his sides as he tried to come up with some sort of game plan for answering any questions the team had. He guessed there would be a lot. He could start with the tranqs, they were most important if they wanted to survive.

“Alright!” A voice boomed across the dock, snapping Zach from his mind instantly as he stumbled to a stop so sudden it left Zia running into him. “We’re leaving in two hours thirty-five minutes that means I want _everything_ on the boat in the two hours. All equipment needs to be checked. If it doesn’t work it doesn’t come. We don’t need to be caught with our pants down here.”

“Who’s that?” Zia breathed. “And why is he ord-”

“Owen?!” Zach asked, voice apparently a bit louder than he’d intended for it to be as all heads swerved towards him. Owens lips twisted into a small smile.

“You heard me, you got two hours, get moving!” He bellowed, startling the room back into movement.

“You know h-” Zia started but Zach was already moving. Swerving between the hustle and bustle of the dock brow pinched in confusion as Owen walked to meet him in the middle, lips still curled in a smile like he was making his way to an old friend, not a heavily confused and definitely sleep deprived twenty year old he’d barely seen in three years. The two came to a stop. Zach’s eyes running over Owen curiously, wondering if maybe the lack of sleep was really getting to him and he’d started hallucinating painfully attractive ex-raptor handlers as a coping method to distract him from the enormously stupid venture he was on.

“He-” Owen started

“Hey, Zach.” Franklin said, appearing between the two. “Mr. Grady, where do I put this?” He asked, swinging a gun clutched in his hands between them in an uncoordinated move that made Zach want to duck and cover.

“Woah!” Owen said, pushing the barrel of the gun down to the floor “Down, you put it down. Or give it to me, either way, don’t hold it.” Franklin shoved the gun into Owen’s quickly.

“Sorry, Mr. Grady i just-”

“It’s fine.” Owen said quickly. “And call me Owen.”

“Right no, of course, Mr. Owen, Grady. Sir. It’s just tranquilizers anyway.”

“Still not interested in getting shot.” Owen said tucking the gun into his side and eyeing the two boys next to him like one might make a mad break to tear the gun from him. “Why don’t you leave moving any guns up to me until I know who can shoot one? I need to talk to Zach so why don’t you and uh-” Owen looked over Zach’s shoulder.

“Zia!” Zia piped up. “I’m Zia.”

“Right, why don’t you and Zia go see who needs help loading.”

“Yeah, okay. Yeah.“ Franklin said nodding eagerly. Owen raised an eyebrow expectantly as Franklin continued to smile at Owen. “Oh right.” Franklin said, scurrying away, Zia following after him. As they left Zach found himself being tugged towards the edge of the room by a warm hand on his forearm.

“They’ve already loaded the food so now-” Owen begun

“What the hell are you doing here?” Zach blurted.

“Thought I was invited.” Owen said, trying to cross his arms only to be stopped by the large tranquilizer gun clutched in his hands.

“You were, you are.” Zach amended. “but you said-”

“I changed my mind.”

“How’d you even get here?” Zach asked.

“Same as you, got a plane.”

“I didn’t tell you where the boat was. I told you the airport wha-”

“Yeah, Franky helped me with that” Owen said, nodding to where Franklin and Zia were helping carry a crate onto the boat. “I thought I’d get a warmer welcome.”

“I thought you didn’t want to be here.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why-”

“Because.” Owen said with a tone of finality. “Unless you’ve realized this is a terrible idea and want to spend your birthday week sipping mojitos on a beach like you told your family you’d be doing. I mean it’s not Hawaii but it’s pretty good.” He added hopefully. “I’ll pay.”

“How do you know about Hawaii?”

“I talked to Claire.”

“But her phone-”

“Yeah, she’s wondering where her Sim card is. Don’t suppose you had anything to do with that did you?”

“..No?” Zach lied. “So uh...How did you talk-”

“They’re called Landlines, kid.” Owen scoffed.

“So Claire knows-”

“No.” Owen said, or more huffed, eyes rolling as he turned to look back out at the volunteers hurrying around the dock, jaw clenching. “I didn’t tell her.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Owen said again.

“..You were worried I’d still come but then she’d come to protect me and you’d stuck babysitting both of us weren’t you?”

“I’m not your babysitter. They get paid.”

“So what are you?”

“Your friendly neighborhood raptorman.” Owen shrugged. Zach continued to blink at him dumbly, to the point that Owen begun shifting on the balls of his feet uncomfortably. “What happened to your face?”

“Huh?”

“Your chin.”

“Oh, I tackled Gray.” Zach said. “So you’re coming?” He asked, wondering if Owen would think he was weird if he reached out to touch him again  just to make absolutely certain he wasn’t a hallucination.”

“Not about to let you have all the fun.” Owen said. “So, I’ve helped where I could since I got here but quite a few people are asking questions I can’t answer without knowing the plan. So-” Zach’s eyes moved back to the bustling dock. His attention slipping away from Owen all too quickly with the reminder that he would soon be seeing dinosaurs again.

“Alright, well you handle the bossing people around and I’ll handle the plan.” Zach decided.

“I don’t boss people-” Owen started, Zach was already halfway back to the group.

“Who has a question for me?” Zach bellowed. The room came to a standstill again as an array of hands darted into the air. He took a deep breath. “Alright, let's do this.” He murmured, squaring his shoulders as he made his way towards the first curious person.

The next few hours flew by. Zach volleying between helping load the ship and answering those he could of the constant barrage of excited questions. Owen was never far away although it seemed he was more interested in grilling anyone he came past about whether or not they could safely handle a gun than helping pack the boat. It did however provide for some amusement when he’d corned both Zach and Zia to question her only for her to reply with a sultry smirk and a low ‘I can handle your weapon any time’ that had Zach snorting out a laugh hard enough he almost dropped the crate they were hauling and Owen running into someone else in his haste to make a dignified exit.

*

There was an excited hum throughout the team as the ship started to make its way through the water. All eyes glued to the horizon.

“Alright!” Owen bellowed. “We got a few hours till we dock so go take a nap.”

“Did...he just order us to take a nap?” Zia asked.

“Yeah.” Franklin breathed. “He’s so awesome.” a sentiment that Zach wholeheartedly agreed with not that he’d say it out loud.

“What’s your deal with him?” Zia asked.

“He worked with raptors.”

“So did you.” Zia said, a hint of bitterness creeping into her tone. “You were on the island too.”

“I was IT. I didn’t actually spend time with the dinosaurs.” Franklin said.

“Still I mean, you get to see them right?”

“Sure a bit, but I was inside a lot. I mean, if your internet craps out I’m your boy. But if your fence comes down and you need someone to fight a freaking dinosaur then-” Franklin waved a hand in Owen’s general direction. “He’s like my hero. If we split into teams can I go with him?”

“If you’re going with him then I call Zach, I bet we can rescue more dinosaurs than you can.”

“You think you and Zach can get more dinosaurs than the ex-navy dinosaur man and me?”

“Definitely. This kid-” Zach wasn’t fast enough to duck as Zia ruffled his hair violently. “-Survived when he was twelve.”

“Fifteen.”

“And now as a fourteen-year-old he’s coming back.”

“I’m twenty.”

“If he can do all that before he even gets to fifteen-”

“Really?”

“Then we can totally eat you and Dino captain America.”

“We’re not splitting up so it doesn’t even-”

“He went in the cage with raptors and survive. Multiple times.” Franklin scoffed. “The second we get there it’s on, I bet we can catch twice as many as you-”

“No,” Zach said.

“I bet we get three times more than you.”

Zach turned away flatting his hair from Zia’s assault and leaving them to their conversation.

Everyone did eventually disappear below deck, leaving only Zach leaning against the railings, eyes searching the horizon as if the island would just magically pop into view if he looked hard enough.

“You should sleep.” Owen said, coming to rest next to him.

“Not tired.” Zach said. At the time he’d thought Gray’s excitement had been ridiculous, over the top but now he was surprised he hadn’t been dragged to the bridge as Gray tried to order the Captain to go faster. He wanted to, the only thing stopping him was that he knew everyone on the ship, including the captain, was as eager to get to the island as he was.

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you lying to me again?”

“Yeah.”

“Zach. This is danger-”

“I know.” Zach huffed. “I’m not an idiot. Ask anyone here they'll tell you I know it's dangerous. I know what I’m getting myself into. I know that there’s a chance I won’t come back.”

“I’m not gonna let that happen.” Owen said, voice dropping to the same serious tenor that Zach remembered from his first trip from the island. “We made it through this once. We can do it again.” Zach hoped he was right but really. He knew that going to the island was playing with fire. To survive once was amazing, to go back a second time was just tempting fate.

“I really hope there’s less running than last time.” He joked lamely, still, it was enough to get Owen’s serious demeanor to crack for a moment, a smile slipping onto his face.

“Well, I can’t promise that. I hope you’ve been doing your cardio.”

“Oh yeah.” He hummed, turning back to the horizon. “I jog like, Once a year so I’m good.” Owen gave a soft snort of laughter. Zach could feel his gaze burning against the side of his face for a moment before Owen turned to copy his stance again, eyes shifting over the water.

“So what’s the plan? Pretty sure this boat isn’t big enough to get a lot of dinosaurs onto it.” Owen said after a few moments.

“It’s not.” Zach admitted. “We have bigger ships coming.”

“Coming? Why aren’t we on one.”

“ A bigger one won’t fit up the river.”

“The river?”

“There’s a river that runs up the east side of the island. It’s the nearest we can get to main street and the control center. If we start there we don’t have to trek across half the island without cars. We get to main street, find vehicles and all we can to transport the dinosaurs they left here and then we go find some dinosaurs to save.”

“And when we’ve got them. What do we do?”

“It’s a four hour round trip to Isla Sorna. We have this-” Zach patted the railing. “-And two shipping boats coming. So we fill a boat and send it off. By the time we’ve filled the next boat, we should have another ship coming back.”

“You know we won’t be able to save all of the right?”

“I know.” Zach said. “But as long as we can save some it’s worth it.”

“I hope it is.” Owen sighed. The two stood in silence, Zach tasting the salt in the air and ignoring the sprays of water that landed on his cheeks as they tore through the ocean, mind reeling. There was nothing left to do but wait to arrive. “You don’t think the mosasaur got out, do you?” Owen said, tipping forward on the railing to look at the water glinting iridescently in the sunlight below them  “-Because if it did we’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Zach felt a grin pulling at his cheeks.

“Now thats a jaws remake I’d watch.” He said.

“How do you get that but you don’t know Star Wars?”

“Jaws is a classic.”

“Star Wars coined the classic film phrase.” Owen said hotly. Zach shrugged nonplussed.

“I know of Star Wars, I just never wanted to watch it. You should take your own advice and get some rest. We have a couple hours.”

“Nah,” Owen said, pushing off from the railings. “I have a pack of cards if you wanna play.”

“You brought cards to a dinosaur-infested island?” Zach asked, lips curling in amusement.

“I bought them for the 2 am plane ride. I had to catch because you decided you want to test your survival skills” Owen said. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

“You know the mosasaur couldn’t actually get into the ocean right?”

“I know.” Owen scoffed, his eyes moving towards the sky. “But we don’t know how far out a pteradon can fly and i'd rather not find out.” Zach’s eyes snapped towards the sky searching for any winged beasts. He remembered Zara screaming as she was plucked off of the ground.

“Point.” Zach croaked, stepping back from the railing nervous, eyes not leaving the sky. Owen’s hand wrapped around his arm, ushering him back into the relative safety of the lower decks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Franklin and Zia's names and jobs are taken frm the little we know about Jurassic World so far.  
> Franklin was an it guy at jurassic world before it was closed.  
> Zia is basically a dino vet (Or in this story she was studying to be one before Jurassic world got shut down and she ended up having to change her major with the job prospects suddenly went to zero and is now in class with Zach)


	4. Oh Captain my Captain

Despite the boat taking hours to reach Isla Nublar Zach and Owen didn’t sleep. Owen had made good on his promise of cards and the two had wasted the next few hours playing games hidden in the stifling interior of the boat trying to ignore the uncomfortably wet sweat patches the harsh Costa Rican sun was forcing on them.

It was…nice, simple, the occasional snore would cut through the quiet ship, a laugh somewhere else from those who, like Owen and Zach, couldn’t force themselves to sleep. He was sure he should be spending the time trying to come up with last-minute contingency plans for when something went wrong, that he should go over everything one last time, or as many times as he could fit into the journey but it seemed for the first time in months that Zach was able to push the nerves that Isla Nublar brought out of his head as he watched Owen’s face twist in childlike glee everytime he managed to best Zach in a game.

When it was clear they were almost to the drop off point Zach left Owen sorting the cards back into their pack while he woke up the inhabitants of the ship and promptly told them all to be quiet. The engine of the boat was already making for a louder entrance than the dead silent one Zach would hope for he didn’t need people shouting in excitement and drawing every animal in twenty acres to investigate.

It didn’t seem real that just outside the thin walls there was Isla Nublar, that they’d actually made it. The few windows of the deck were small and thin with barely enough room to look through, especially with the ragtag group all climbing over one another to try and get a sneak peak of the island. Still, he managed to spot the hauntingly familiar traces of plants that were once long extinct. Plants that were he could only ever find on two islands on the face of the earth, plants he wasn’t sure he’d ever see again. At the time, when he’d first come to Jurassic World he hadn’t known that they’d brought back plants as well, and if he had he wouldn’t have cared. he still didn’t particularly care but it was a sign, a sign that they were in the right place, a sign that he’d made it back. A feat that now seemed laughably easy when faced with the next step of the plan.

Zach eyed the door to the outside. He need to have a look, see if there would be dinosaur lined up to eat them the moment they docked. The image of Zara dangling in the air crashed into his mind once again and he turned his back on the door, he’d go outside, he wanted to go outside, a buzz had started beneath his skin, a fire rolling through his veins begging him to go, to look, to find _something_ no matter the consequences. A voice in his ear whispering _you won’t make it out anyway, what’s one more risk_ that he had to physically shake out.

He needed to be level-headed, he couldn’t be as eager and naive as the others on the ship, he knew better, he had to know better, had to let the logic win out over the hm of anticipation. He had a team to lead, they couldn’t afford for him to get caught up in the magic of it all. If he did he was sure that it would turn into a nightmare faster.

“Everyone stay in here.” Zach said, there were windows in the bridge. He could see better from there and be marginally safer. “I’ll be back in a minute, get your stuff together.” He turned, curling into the thing passages of the ship. footsteps thundering behind him.

“Where are you going?” Owen asked.

“Bridge, need to look and see what’s out there.” Zach said.

Zach made his way up to the bridge, Owen following a half step behind him. he was sure, that were the halls wider, Owen would have pushed past him to walk ahead with the way he was breathing down Zach’s neck. Zach entered the bridge with little more than a swift knock. the room was bigger, finally giving Owen the chance to step out from behind him. Captain Smith’s eyes flickered to Owen for a moment before returning to Zach.

“We got a problem.”

“What’s up?” Zach asked. Inching closer to the windows, squinting out at the water in front of them and the island curling around them.

“Looks like a rock slide or something.” Captain Smith hummed, voice a slow drawl like he was chewing while he spoke. He bobbed his head towards where the side of the valley on their left had seemed to give way, leaving rocks poking out from beneath the depths of the water. Zach pushed to the front of the bridge, pressing his nose against the windows, hands cupping around his eyes to try and block the glare from the sun as he surveyed their surroundings. “We’re a half mile from where you wanted me to drop us but this is as close as I can get without hitting land.” He said. “What do you wanna do? Swing to the ea-”

“No.” Zach said, pushing off of the window after one last glance around “This is good. We’ll get out here and you can-”

“Where else can you drop us?” Owen asked. Smith’s eyes snapped from Zach to Owen.

“We don’t need-” Zach started.

“If we go back, follow the island’s east coast there’s-” Smith started.

“I said we’ll go from here.” Zach said stiffly.

“we’re in the middle of nowhere.” Owen said. “We might find a better-”

“we’re as close to the main complex as we can get. I don’t want to walk people through this island further than we have to. I know the route from here, if we go somewhere else we’ll have to waste time orienting ourselves.”

“I don’t think figuring out where you are is a waste of time, Kid.”

“It is when we could get off here, as planned.” Zach said.

“If we get off here we’re cornering ourselves. Even if we manage to get through the river before something kills us we’ll be trapped by that.” he pointed to the uneven ledge that hung on one side of the river “If we go dock somewhere else we could-”

“Be further away from the vehicles and the equipment we need to contain the animals, which means more time on foot and more dinosaurs on the island for longer. I’d rather risk a few minutes with a wall in our way than a half days walk across the island through barely known terrain.” Zach said. “Look, dude, we’re getting off here, I know the way. we have two hours, max, to get to the central complex, we dock anywhere else and we’re at the very least doubling that time. This is the lesser of two evils.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.” Zach said. “let's go.” Zach marched back out of the room before Owen could try to change his mind.

*

“So much for a quiet entrance,” Owen said, Zach winced as more splashes echoed from the river below as the team scrambled through the water to the shore. “Hey, Tank! keep that gun up, if it goes in the water it’s useless to us!” Zach watched as Tank raised his gun higher over his head, before continuing the uneasy swim.

“Like I said, lesser of two evils, it's more dangerous to travel the whole island without vehicles.” Zach said. “Franky, you next.”

“or-” Owen said. “Franklin could meet us later-”

“No, he couldn’t.” Zach grumbled, beginning to regret asking Owen to come. “We need him with us.”

“We’re just picking up vehicles right and he can’t handle a gun, no offense meant, it’s just a fact-”

“None taken.” Franklin said easily.

“So it’d be safer for him here for now. and you for that matter.”

“I know the route.”

“I lived on this island, I can get us there.”

“I don’t doubt that you can get us there, I just don’t need you too. I’m coming.”

“It would make sense for you to-”

“Owen.” Zach said stiffly. Was he really trying to bench him on his own damn expedition? “We’re coming. Franklin, go on.” Franklin nodded swiftly and climbed down the ladder, Zach listened to the splash of the water as he hit and ignored Owen’s jaw twitching like he was just aching to say that he thought Zach was making the wrong call. Zach waved the next person on. eyes shifting over the trees ahead of them searching for any movement, or scales.

It wasn’t long before the last person was climbing down the ladder leaving only Zach, Owen, Smith and two others who’d be staying on board for now.

“Alright.” Zach said. “We’ll meet you at the rendezvous, don’t come to land until you see us, stay inside, stay together and keep your guns on you.”

“Aye Aye Captain.” Jameson said with a grin. Smith shot him a glare. “Uh...Sorry, Captain.”

“See you soon.” Smith said, clapping Zach on the shoulder. “Now go on. you got a lot of walking to do.”

“Leave some for us to see, yeah?” Erika said.

“Course.”

“And don’t get eaten.” Jameson added.

“I’ll try not to.” Zach said lamely, reaching for one of the remaining guns.

“Nope.” Owen said, plucking the gun out of Zach's hands before he could get a good grip on it. “No way in hell are you walking around with a gun.”

“Owen.” Zach tried.

“You don't know how to handle one safely you don't get to use one.”

“I know how to use one.”

“Call of Duty doesn't count, Kid.” Owen scoffed, slamming it Erika’s arms and frog marching Zach closer to the ladder as he tucked his own gun onto his shoulder. “Now let’s go. Stick close to me.” Owen didn’t give Zach a choice, all but dangling him over the edge of the boat. Zach heard the small chuckles of the few from his team who were capturing the spectacle before he managed to latch onto the ladder and wriggle away from Owen’s grip.

The water, even warmed beneath the blazing sun was just cool enough to be a relief from the unrelenting heat. It didn’t, however, do anything to cool the burn of rage swelling in Zach’s chest. When he’d first started the venture to save the dinosaurs he’d been sure no one would listen to him, that no one would even dream about following him and letting him lead, no one would ever look to him for a plan, but they did. First Zia, standing up with him in class and then the others, one by one accepting Zach as the leader.

yes, people had questioned Zach before, he’d had people mention how young he was but in the end, it didn’t matter, because they didn’t see him as a kid, not once they heard him talk about the dinosaurs. Not once they heard his plans, they trusted him. Something that wouldn’t carry on for long if Owen kept treating him like a toddler who needed his hand held to walk across a road. A scuffle for leadership was the last thing they needed, it would be dangerous, they needed to all know their parts and work towards a certain goal. he didn’t need to be telling half the group to go right while Owen waltzed left and a bunch of starry-eyed raptor trainer groupies ran after him.

Zach’s feet slid against the mud as he hauled himself from the river, moving to the head of the group, not waiting for Owen to finish his awkward gun toting frog march in the water.

“Alright!” Zach called, as loud as he would dare, looking out over the sopping wet group in front of him. “Now it gets more interesting. We’ve got a five-mile hike to Main Street. If you haven’t got a gun you stay in the middle of the pack. Don’t think that means you can daydream though, keep your eyes peeled, we’re in their territory now. Gunners, don’t shoot unless you have to. We’re too far out to carry anything back and we have a limited amount of rounds. We gotta save as many as we can alright, so when you shoot, make it count. Now let's go!”

*

“You should be in the middle.” Owen said.

“I’m the one who knows where we’re going.” Zach grumbled, pushing ahead faster.

“I know where we are. You can go-”

“No.” Zach said.

“You’re the one who said people without guns should be in the middle”

“That’s true, but I’m the leader and should be upfront with a gun.”

“I’ve already said you’re not getting a gun.” Owen said.

“I don’t need your permission to have a gun.”

“You wanted me to come-”

“To help-”

“I am helping.”

“By leaving me defenseless?”

“By keeping you from shooting yourself with your own damn gun.” Owen said. A million arguments ran through Zach’s head, a thousand comebacks, each harsher than the last but he choked them back down. The last thing he needed was to look like a child throwing a tantrum. He would talk to Owen, later, when they got a second alone.

Zach lamented the fact he’d no doubt have to make it to Main Street before he’d be able to pull Owen aside to talk about it. he got it, he knew that to Owen he was probably still the same sixteen-year-old who’d bitched his way through Jurassic World. Or the seventeen-year-old he’d had awkward family dinners with that would barely talk because he was so far in his head being forced to work through a sexuality crisis thanks to the Raptor God sitting opposite him.

Zach, unfortunately, remembered one time Owen had said something that made Aunt Clair slap his arm and hiss out a scandalized ‘Owen!’ and then had looked to Zach and winked just as he was drinking. Zach had gone to bed pretty soon after he’d choked so hard on his soda at the stupid wink that it came out of his nose in a spray like a water fountain.

The point, was that to Owen he was most likely still just that dumb kid, taller and now old enough to shave but still a kid, not someone that an ex-navy, ex-raptor trainer would think about deferring to, to Owen he was someone to protect, a kid in way over his head.

Zach was drawn out of his thoughts as unease settled in his chest, a slow bubbling that worked from his chest, slithering up into his throat and coiling around his windpipe, settling hot like vomit. He turned, eyes flickering behind them as he tried to listen over the soft whisper of feet dragging through ankle-high grass and murmur of conversation.

It was the kind of feeling he got as a kid when the closet door would be cracked open as he tried to sleep. Dread that was unfounded with the evidence he had. Because nothing was out of place, the wind breathed, soft and warm, the leaves on the plants shivered against it. Everything was normal, the same as when they’d first stepped out onto the field, the plains of grass that would look endless were it not for the top of the hotel peeking out over the horizon.

“Zach.” Owen’s rows were drawn eyes running over Zach’s face before he followed where Zach’s gaze had been moments before. Like Zach, he saw nothing amiss, just the soft trodden path where the grass had been crushed down by their footfalls. the others kept moving, marching past the pair with little more than a courtesy glance to see why they’d both stopped. “You alright?” Owen said, voice soft like the wind and just as warm. Zach turned back, squinting against the sun as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Yeah, just thought I heard something.” Zach said. It had been small, like the hum of static as you turned on an old tv, like someone had caught thunder and closed it in a jar where it could only sigh where it used to roar.

“I don’t hear anything.” Owen said. Zach’s head bobbed in a nod, he couldn’t either. “Come on, we’ll go a bit further then take a break.”

“We should keep moving.” Zach disputed, picking up his pace. “Until we get to Main Street we’re sitting ducks.”

“People need to rest, It’s hot.” Zach could hear what wasn’t said, that it wasn’t so much about people as about him.

“I’m fine.”

“We find some shade, sit for fifteen minutes, drink some water then-”

“We’ll rest when we get to Main Street.”

“Zach-”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Yeah, because hearing things is a great sign of health.” Owen scoffed. Zach opened his mouth to retort only for the unease to come back, this time not slowly brewing but like a sledgehammer being crashed into his sternum, winding and crushing. his head snapped back behind them, only this time he wasn’t the only one looking. The thunder rumbled, unleashed from its jar, the static bit along is skin, drawing goosebumps as it lasted longer.

A crash echoed as three hulking bodies exploded from the barren forest on their left. A scream echoed from someone as they spotted the stampeding stegosauruses.

“Still think I’m hearing things?” Zach mused.

“Not sure now is the time.” Owen said, fingers latching around Zach's wrist and pulling him backward in uneasy steps. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, a woman’s gun swinging up, ready to fire.

“No! Don’t waste the ammo!” Zach bellowed, head swerving from side to side looking for another escape, something that wouldn’t end in three stegs drugged up to their spines. His gaze settled on the forest to their right, unlike the other side of the field the trees were tightly packed, layered ontop of each other with what seemed like barely enough room to let the team through, definitely not enough for a stegosaurus. “Run, Head for the trees!” No one needed telling twice, the group turning tail and sprinting for the tree line as the stegosauruses thundered through the clearing. Still, Owen’s hand stayed on Zach’s wrist hot like fire until he was sure that Zach was following his lead in running for the trees. the ground rumbled beneath Zach’s feet as they got closer making him feel like he was running on thunder

He swallowed the hysterical laugh threatening to bubble out of his throat as he chanced a glance behind him and through the thick of scrambling people could see the large bodies hurtling after them. They were real.

He ached to stop running, to spin and face them, to run his hands across the large scales that covered their bodies, if it were just him he thought he might try. He didn’t think they were attacking. Just stampeding, like a herd of buffalo. There was a chance he could just move to the side, try and brush one as it passed but the frantic sprinting of the people around him and the panicked yells to ‘go faster’ were enough to bring him back, remind him just how stupid it would be to try something like that.

Zach snapped his gaze back to the tree line, pushing himself faster. if he got there he could hide amongst the dense patches that the stegs wouldn’t be able to fit through and watch them pass. It wouldn’t be touching, but it would be enough. He was almost there, just a little further.

Zia stumbled in front of him, gun clattering to the floor, she didn’t bother stopping to pick it up, just kept going. It was funny really, the screams, the recognition that for all the warnings he’d given about how dangerous the journey would be nothing could convince them like actually seeing a dinosaur without a fence between you. He thought it was a pretty easy opening into the world of ‘dinosaurs are fully capable of killing you. finding out thanks to three herbivores stampeding. It sounded almost soft, nothing like Zach’s encounter. The chill that ran up his spine when he saw the reflection of sharp teeth and too intelligent eyes and realized there was every chance that he’d just delivered himself and his little brother to a monster like they were the entrees at a restaurant.

Compared to that it was almost fun, like running a race. one foot in front of the other, if you reach the trees before the dinosaurs reach you you win another few days on a suicide mission.

And people would make it to the trees, why wouldn’t they. Stegosauruses weren’t the fastest of animals, they weren’t like t-rex, or the indominus, they moved in more of a way that made sense with their body mass. Everyone would be fine, they just needed to keep running.

“ZACH!” Zach stumbled to a stop, almost toppling over thanks to the speed he turned. he spotted Ryan instantly, the young man trying to scramble up from where he’d no doubt fallen. face pale and eyes wide as he collapsed against almost as soon as he put weight on his ankle. Zach’s eyes snapped to the stegosaurus's getting closer and closer.

Zach started towards him, movements lumbering unsure as his brain screamed at him to turn the hell around and not run towards the stampede but still fast. At least, they were for all of three steps before an arm was wrapping around his waist and dragging him back like he weighed little more than a chihuahua.

“Get him to the trees. Tank you’re with me-”

“I-wh-I” Tank stuttered

“Now!” Owen bellowed, letting go of Zach and shoving him towards the tree line. Zach didn’t have time to right himself from the rough shove before another pair of arms was grabbing at him and dragging him away from Ryan, and Owen who raced forwards like he wasn’t charging a group of animals that could crush him in a single unfortunate step or kill him with the sway of their tail.

“Get off! I need to-” Zach tried. The one holding him gave him no room to argue, yanking Zach back hard enough for a gasp of pain to slip from his lips. Suddenly he was facing the trees, being shoved bodily between the gaps in them to meet the group of panting explorers.

He was shoved once more as his captor pushed past him into the relative security of dense trees. he ignored them, already moving back to the gap, eager to get out there, to help Ryan. A hand landed on his shoulder before he could move, softer than the others, a light press rather than a vice like grip and yet it felt stronger than the others, nailing his feet to the floor. The small gesture slamming reality back into him. out there was dangerous, out there had dinosaurs ready to trample them. It had-

“OWEN!” Zach screamed.

“Dude it’s Mr. Grady, he can handle it.” Franklin said confidently, hand squeezing ever so slightly on his shoulder. Zach watched, eyes wide as the herd got closer to Owen and Tank as they hauled Ryan off of the floor. Swinging his arms around their shoulders until they were practically carrying him as they raced towards the trees.

It wasn’t quick enough, Zach twitched, ready to move as the three were engulfed amongst the animals, hidden from view. Franklin's hand tightened on him, no longer a soft reminder but an order to stay put. The thundering of footsteps too loud to hear anything over it.

His breath was stuck in his throat, chest seizing a voice screaming ‘ _your fault_ ’ so loud it made him want to scream back as his eyes searched desperately for the three amongst the herd. Finally, he saw them, three pale figures stumbling out to the side of the herd as two of the stegs moved on, running down the field, uninterested at the strange nonscaly beings that had joined their herd for the blink of an eye.

The third didn’t hold their ideas apparently. Stumpy legs stopping as it swang, tail winding on the three, a noise that Zach could only describe as possessed bleat came from it. It reminded him of his mother when she saw a spider and would try to swat it with a shoe, a comparison he was sure she’d shout at him for but true none-the-less.

It was scared, of them, three humans, so small compared to it.

Owen managed to shove himself and the two boys out of the way of the tail. They were up just as fast as they went down. Owen handing Ryan off to Tank like he’d handed off Zach earlier. The raptor hunter moved closer to the steg, whistling and shouting, calling it’s attention as Tank hauled a limping Ryan towards the trees. Zach grit his teeth, he needed to do something, Owen’s distraction was working too well if you asked him. The beasts attention solely on Owen who was dodging the swings of its tail and stamp of feet like he was playing tag. Each swipe Zach could feel the lump growing in his throat, his heart stopping until Owen’d successfully got out of the way of it.

There was no way he’d be able to get away from it, he was too far away from the trees, too close to the steg and there was nothing to distract it.

 _He’ll have to shoot_ Zach thought. Owen, it seemed had come to the same conclusion, rolling a bit further out than the other times, gun flying up as the tail swung.

Zach winced at the resounding crack as the spines connected with the barrel of Owen’s gun, showering shards of metal and plastic across the grass. The team let out soft ‘ohh’s as if they were watching a particularly thrilling nature documentary. Owen let out an audible yelp as he launched himself out of the way of a charge. Zach forced himself to look away, eyes scanning the area for some way to help. He spotted the glare of the sun glinting against Zia’s dropped gun.

Zach didn’t think, just moved, throwing off Franklin’s hand and throwing himself out of the safety the coarse tree line provided. Eyes locked on Owen ducking beneath the swing of the stegs barbed tail. He dove, grabbing the tranq gun, the grip was hot in his palm under the sun, his sweaty grip slipping for a moment before he got a decent hold on it and twisted into position. Zach lined up the shot, Owen tripped over his feet as he tried to scramble away from another hit, missing getting hit by a spike by a mere hair's breadth, Zach breathed out, the stegosaurus reeled it’s tail back, readying for another hit, Owen scrambled to try and push himself up again. Zach pulled the trigger, the gun went off with an echoing pop, he waited only long enough to reload before shooting again, pushing up and walking forwards unloading another two shots into its side before it was tumbling over. Owen barely managed to roll out of the way in time to stop the gigantic body from crushing him in the fall.

Zach lowered the gun as Owen flipped over, eyes wide and flickering across the deserted area as if someone else but Zach had taken the shot. Finally, his gaze settled on Zach, mouth gaping like a fish out of water.

“I told you.” Zach said, slinging the gun over his shoulder and leveling Owen with a stiff glare. “I know how to shoot.”

“Where the hell did you learn to do that?” Owen asked, dragging himself up off of the floor, chest heaving as he let out heaving pants.

“Gun ranges mostly.”

“You've been-”

“Yes.” Zach said icily “Of course I have. I'm not sixteen anymore. I'm not some unprepared little kid that needs you to come rescue me. This is _my_ team. My plan. You decided you were coming yesterday. I've known I was coming for months and I've been studying these animals for years now. If I say I can do something it's because I can, If I say I know something it's because I do. I'm not here to lead everyone to their deaths, I'm doing everything I can to make sure it's not a suicide mission so you have to trust me. I know you're used to calling the shots. I know you know a lot about this island and these animals but so do I. I asked you to come because I want your _help_ , not for you to undermine me in front of my team. If you have a suggestion then make it, if you have a question ask it, but if you can't work _with_ me then you can go wait on the boat because the only way we make it off this island is if we work together.” Owen was silent for a moment, eyebrows drawn in a way that made a furrow appear between his brow before it smoothed, a smirk tilting onto his lips.

“How long you been working on that speech?” He said.

“Ever since you took my damn gun.” Zach snapped. Owen nodded, lips still pulled in a smirk as his eyes moved to his own gun, strewn across the floor in shards.”You gotta work with me, Man. I’m here to save dinosaurs, not having a pissing contest with you.”

“I’m trying to get you off this island alive.”

“I’m trying to get everyone off alive and I can’t do that if you’re breathing down my neck and trying to change the plan every step of the way.”

“Alright.” Owen said, after only a moment's hesitation.

“Alright?”

“Yeah. Alright, this is your mission. I get it. I can take orders.”

“Alright.” Zach said cautiously, waiting for the other shoe to drop, Owen raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“So, what’s our next move?”

“Uh-” Zach hesitated, turning back to the forest. The group hovered in the trees peering out like scared children. he turned back to Owen who continued to watch him patiently awaiting an answer. “Okay, uh, well, we gotta check Ryan’s leg and you need a new gun.”

“Let’s get to it then.” Owen said, clapping Zach on the back hard enough to send him stumbling a half step forwards.

*

“Pretty sure it’s just a sprain.” Owen said, lowering Ryans foot back to the ground and drawing Zach’s attention from where he’d been watching the team swarming the unconscious stegosaurus like drunk college kids to a fluffy puppy. He peered over Owen’s shoulder at the swollen ankle with a grimace. It wasn’t too bad, once when Zach broke his arm it had swollen worse than that but still, the redskin and the swell that looked like a baseball was badly concealed below the surface didn’t look fun.

“It hurts.” Ryan said bitterly.

“Yeah, it’s gonna hurt like a bitch for at least a few days. I’d say don’t walk on it but that’s not exactly an option.”

“Can I walk?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah.” Owen snorted. “It just won’t feel good. We could get someone to carry-”

“Walk for now,” Zach decided. he’d told them all this wouldn’t be fun, and wasting time and energy on trying to make something to carry Ryan with could put them in danger. he could have a piggyback when it was needed. “We’ll save carrying you for when we come across something that wants to eat us.”

“Don’t you mean if?” Ryan asked.

“No.” Zach and Owen replied in tandem.

“Once we get to the boat you can rest it.” Zach said.

“No, I’m good.” Ryan said, pain apparently forgotten.. “I don’t need to rest it, All hands on deck to catch the dinosaurs right.”

“Dude, your hands are staying on deck.” Zach said. “You’re not staying on the island if you can’t run.”

“Dude that sucks.” Ryan huffed, tipping his head back.

“It could have been a lot worse.” Zach said.

“You’re benching me.”

“Of course he is. You’re injured.” Owen said, his fingers twitched as if he had to hold himself back from tapping the ankle in question. “At best you’ll get yourself killed and at worst you’ll take the rest of us down with you as we try to carry you to safety. If this is the only injury you get off this island with you’re a lucky son of a bitch.”

“Lucky? I’ve come to see dinosaurs and have to sit out after five minutes.”

“At least you’re alive.” Zach said unapologetically. “Head over to the others, we’ll be leaving in a minute.”

“If I can run, do I get to stay on the island with you guys when the boats get here?”

“Sure.” Zach said.

“Alright-” Ryan grinned, shoving himself up of his log seat and taking a long stride forwards, a small yelp echoed from his lips. Zach watched as he hopped, switching the weight to his good leg. “-We’ll-” he panted, face pale. “-I’ll do that later then.” He said, full of false bravado and then hopped off with his head held even as it bobbed with each messy hop. Zach watched him go, heads tilted in bemusement.

“You sure you wanna head out now, You haven’t exactly had a break. We could stick around here for a bit longer.”

“We’ve already had too much of a break.” Zach said, drawing his attention away from Ryan. “We don’t know why they were running. If it was something big enough to spook them then we don’t want to be anywhere near here when it follows. We could walk through the trees but-”

“We’d have less chance of seeing anything hunting us.” Owen finished

“Exactly,” Zach said. “So let's get going. Here-” He held out a gun that had practically been thrown at him by a guy who’d decided he wanted to stay in the middle with the other nongun holders while Owen had first started to examine Ryan’s ankle.

“Thanks.”

“Try not to break this one, yeah?” Zach joked. Owen let out a breath of laughter. “Let's go.” he said securing his gun around his shoulder. Owen mimicked the gesture but when Zach turned to move Owen stayed in place, gaze burning into him.

“Zach,” Owen said, in a tone that could only be his. With it’s contradicting inflections. It held the same cocky demeanor as it had years ago when Owen had said he was the Alpha, the smug air yet somehow it seemed laced with an apology. Zach had spent hours trying to recreate Owen’s voice in his head when he used to visit with Claire. The way every time he said Zach’s name it seemed to be in a different tone, a different meaning behind it. 

Zach had always hated monotone voices, the way they drawled and stayed never changing, Owen was the opposite of that, he held every emotion in his voice. It rumbled when he was angry and turned silky and soft when he was tired and he and Claire were half asleep on the couch. Zach had heard a thousand ways for Owen to say his name. he’d heard it when he was scared and when he was angry, he’d heard it when it was slurring with beer and purring content. He’d heard it, so soft and yet so sure as he talked about the island on late nights with Zach in a way no one else wanted to. Not like Zach was a kid suffering from a bad dream, not an empty ‘it’s over’ like his Mom did, because he knew that, he knew it was over the moment Blue had turned and walked away. he spoke to him like a survivor. 

Zach thought he’d heard every tone, until now. A tone that held respect in a way Zach hadn’t realized he’d been missing. A voice that showed him that Owen was telling the truth when he said he’d work with him. That they were now on a level playing field, equals, and a voice that told him that Owen wasn’t quite sure what to do with that information. “If I’m following your lead then there are three rules you gotta stick to.” Owen said.

“What rules?” Zach asked.

“When we find Blue I call the shots.” Owen rushed, like he was bartering.

“Ok.” he replied easily.

“This might be your team but that’s my raptor. I know her and I’m the best chance we got at getting her and everyone else through it in one piece.”

“Dude, I said okay.” Zach placated. “I’d be a dumbass not to let you take the lead with Blue. you’re the alpha right?” Zach said, lips twitching in a smile.

“Okay.” Owen said, his own lips pulling up into a grin. “Rule two, Me and you, we stick together. You can send all of them off if you want but you stick with me.”

“Owen-”

“I came to get blue and make sure you don’t die. I can’t do that if I’m not with you. I spent most of last time looking for you and your brother. This time you’re staying where I can see you.”

“Alright-” He said, like the raptor rule it wasn’t something he would really argue. He’d invited Owen with the expectation of them working together anyway. “And rule three?” Zach asked.

“If I’m following your lead I need _your_ team not to act like kids on holiday.”

“They’re not acting like-”

“She’s taking a selfie with the Steg.” Owen said, nodding behind him.

“Wha-” Zach span round, catching sight of Zia lying down by the conked out stegosaurus, mobile held up as she grinned at the camera. “Zia!”

“What?” Zia asked.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Oh, Sorry, do you want me to take one of you?” She asked pushing herself up.

“What? No! That’s not what I-” Zach started, only to be stopped by a hand clamping down on his shoulder

“Yes. Definitely.” Owen said, dragging Zach towards the dinosaur.

“What are you doing?” Zach hissed.

“Being one of the team.” Owen answered, voice sugary sweet as he used his grip on Zach's shoulders to shove him to his knees. He promptly dropped down beside him. “Smile, Boss.” Owen said, throwing a blinding grin towards Zia and the camera.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, hope you enjoy


End file.
